"Resident Evil is said to be born from a Japanese horror movie, “Sweet Home” (which was actually based on an NES game of the same name). Although “Sweet Home” itself took its inspiration in turn from several Western movies, it nonetheless carries with it the strong hallmark of the way Japanese culture treats horror – and that distinctly Japanese fear factor is what made Konami’s Silent Hill, Tecmo’s Fatal Frame, and Sony Japan’s Siren what they are.

The West and the East have distinctly dif..."

"I'll summarize them in chronological order, starting with Origins and going from there. Please note that I'm only going to state the canonical endings, if you want to see the other ones, you should buy or rent the games. I highly recommend these games to any survival-horror fan, but be warned: the Silent Hill series is incredibly graphic and disturbing. You should not play them unless you're mature enough to handle the content. And remember, this article contains major spoilers although I've ..."

"There's something special about being on the edge of your seat, realising you need to change your underwear for the second time in an hour and trying to remind yourself (unconvincingly) that it's just a game. I mean, what kind of sissy would be scared of a game?

As it turns out, a lot of us. And more to the point – we like it. The horror genre, more specifically survival horror, has delivered an array of classic titles and, like a fine wine, has matured to near perfection. With the upcomin..."

"Art in its many varied forms has, and always will be, a staple of every human culture that has ever walked the Earth. Over time, nearly everyone has debated what constitutes art that’s worthy of display, of reflection; why a single image may evoke a great deal of emotions in one person while it leaves another cold and uninterested. This works rather well for art contained within the many varied galleries scattered across the globe, but that kind of ambiguity will rarely get you honorable ment..."

"One of the most distinctive traits of the Silent Hill series is its use of the Otherworld, a bleak industrial version of reality where night persists indefinitely and rusted metal and barbed wire are core components of most architecture. The Otherworld often reflects the layout and geometry of reality, but sometimes it the reflection is tenuous, as the Otherworld version of reality is usually twisted and confusing. The Silent Hill games contrast the Otherworld with the Fog World, a daytime lo..."

"Ridge Racer
One of the first racing games released for the PlayStation, Ridge Racer ushered in an era of next-gen racing. Sure, it only has one track, but it's a great track. On top of that, several unlockable cars and the "mirror" options make it worth playing, especially since you can remove the disc from your PSOne and play your own CD soundtrack.

Final Fantasy VII
Square's decision to leave Nintendo in favor of the PlayStation shook the gaming world, but not nearly as much as the arr..."